WHAT: Veterans in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corps League, and NYS Council of Veterans Organizations are holding a news conference to call on legislators to assist justice-involved veterans suffering from untreated mental health ailments. The Justice for Our Veterans Act, A.2421B (Brindisi) and S.3914B (Griffo) ensures veterans receive treatment and consideration if they suffer from a service-related mental health illness. This bill provides a process for criminal justice-involved veterans to be examined and, as needed, diverted into treatment for mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

In attendance will be many veterans suffering from PTSD and/or TBI who served in Operation Iraq Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Vietnam. Speakers will discuss the mental health calamity for many New York State veterans and the risks of untreated PTSD vets involved in the criminal justice system. Speakers will explain how the bill's criminal court treatment-oriented process for justice-involved veterans will lead veterans to rehabilitation, family restoration, and again being productive members of society. Veterans will highlight how untreated men and women with invisible but real injuries-the most vulnerable of our returning warriors who put their lives on the line for America's freedom-need a diversion treatment process in the criminal justice system. Photo Opportunity.